When The Walls Close In (My Knight Will Always Save Me)
by Evony Frost
Summary: Merlin gets stuck. Literally. Or, how Merlin develops claustrophobia and a couple of instances after.
1. Chapter 1

It had been raining for a few hours now and had been dark for a little longer. When the sun had gone it had taken all semblance of warmth with it. Merlin could see each of his breaths as violent tremors wracked his frame. He had gone for a walk in the woods after dinner while Arthur was off at an emergency afternoon footie practice.

It wasn't that Merlin didn't like the Pendragon Manor, he did live there, but without Arthur it just didn't feel like home. It hadn't been home when Merlin's mum, Hunith, became Arthur's nanny ("She's _not_ my nanny." Arthur would insist) when Merlin was five and Arthur was six. They hadn't gotten along at first but with a lot of time and (surprisingly) insults the two became unlikely friends.

Eventually they grew inseparable and Uther paid for Merlin to attend Arthur's posh school with the hope that Merlin would help bring Arthur out of his shell and finally make some friends. It worked. They formed a group of close friends made of girls and guys alike, in which all of the guys besides Merlin played footie together. While Merlin couldn't attend practices (not being on the team and all), he went to all of their games. So when Arthur went to practice, Merlin went for walks through the never-ending woods that made up the Pendragon property.

Merlin liked that he could be alone out there, without the suspicious eyes of the staff or Arthur. Arthur didn't understand the concept of alone time or privacy. Not that he didn't love Arthur, he did, and everyone knew it. They were two halves of a whole, not really them unless the other was there. It wasn't Merlin and Arthur, it was MerlinandArthur. Merlin loved it, he really did, but every now and then he needed to be _just Merlin_.

There was a path, kept clear by the grounds keeper and frequented by young Boy Scout troops, but Merlin's always been a day dreamer. He's always had sort of a special ability to get lost in his thoughts. That's how he found himself stuck in this rather unfortunate situation. Literally, stuck. Not only was he tired and cold but he was stuck somewhere in the middle of the woods. He hadn't been paying attention to where he was going and he'd just sort of wandered off the path. One second he'd been wandering merrily through the woods and in the next the ground had come out from beneath him and he was falling.

There was a hole in the ground; it was more of a crack really. It looked like the earth just pulled itself apart a little with the intent of swallowing him up. His right arm was pinned against his side. His left arm was a little better. It was stuck from shoulder to elbow, leaving his forearm and hand free. Both of his feet, however, were completely trapped beneath him. He tried to pull them free but a fierce pain shot up his left leg and the world swam a little. Merlin couldn't tell if it was his foot, his ankle, or his shin, but something was definitely broken. He stopped trying to move his leg after that.

The hole was deep, probably about eight feet. If Merlin stood he could probably stretch his arms up, reach the top, and pull himself out. But Merlin couldn't stand. He was sitting with his knees trapped to his chest; the left one a little further down with his foot wedged someplace too small to actually accommodate the size of a foot.

He took some deep breaths and remained calm. Arthur would come. He'd find Merlin and rescue him and take care of him just like he always did when Merlin needed him to. So he waited. It took a little over an hour before he finally lost it. He cried and screamed and jerked around, trying to break free even though the pain in his leg was begging him not to. Eventually he exhausted himself and went lax, his eyes staring but not seeing the dirt wall in front of him.

After a while, a pounding in his skull caught his attention. Merlin ducked his head and raised his left hand, hoping he'd be able to reach. When his fingers hit the tender area, he saw spots. He must have hit his head when he fell. Merlin pulled his fingers back and wasn't all to surprised when they came away with blood on them.

Another hour passed and Merlin watched as the light that peered down on him changed from sunshine yellow to sunset orange before vanishing completely. Not long after, the skies opened up and Merlin was quickly drenched. The cold crept up on him. His labored breaths were painstakingly obvious when they pushed passed his chapped lips like puffs of nighttime fog. He shuddered and shook and was sure that anyone in a one mile radius must have been able to hear his teeth chattering. More time passed and Merlin's body was adjusting to the cold, taking some of the shivering away. He didn't care how many times he'd mentally complained to himself about how annoying the teeth chattering was, he wanted to keep shivering. Shivering is the body's way of staying warm, staying alive. When the body starts to give up, the mind does too.

It was when the rain had finally stopped that he heard it. It was a dog. It was barking and whining and real. But that wasn't right. The Pendragon's didn't have any dogs. Merlin could hear it though, he was sure of it. First it was one, then another, and another before suddenly there was a whole pack of them. Do dogs work in packs or was that just wolves? Merlin couldn't seem to remember. Now there were voices. Actual human voices, he wasn't imagining them. They were yelling and calling out into the night. He tried to focus on what they were saying. It sounded like… "…rlin. Merlin!" It was him! They were looking for him! It was a search party with dogs and everything! Arthur must have gotten home from practice and realized Merlin was missing and now Arthur was coming to find him!

"Arthur!" He tried calling out to him but his voice was raw and horse from all his screaming and crying earlier. "Arthur! Arthur, please!"

No matter how loud he yelled, he didn't think anyone would be able to hear him. He was going to be stuck down here forever. So Merlin did the only thing he could do. He cried. It was heartbreaking and the sobs shook his frame as much as his cramped position would allow. He was cold, tired, stuck, and hopeless. Not to mention terrified. Merlin didn't care if Arthur made damsel jokes for the rest of their lives; he just wanted the prat to find him.

"Hey Percy, do you hear that?"

Merlin quickly swallowed his sobs. It was Gwaine! He was here and so was Percival!

"I don't hear anything." Percival said.

"Hey! Everyone!" Gwaine yelled. "SHUT UP!"

The woods fell into silence. This was his chance. "Someone help me, please!"

Silence. He thought he had failed, that his voice had been too weak, and that he blew his one shot at being saved. Then he heard it. Shoes, squelching through the mud, coming closer with every step. A blinding light peered down at him from above him.

"Sorry mate." Gwaine said, turning the flashlight in a way so he could see. "You look like hell."

Merlin laughed. He couldn't help it. He had been found and Gwaine was being Gwaine and everything was going to be okay now. Happy tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes.

"Someone call Arthur and get him over here. I'm sure Merlin wants to see him." Gwaine said. Merlin nodded a little too enthusiastically and couldn't hold back the hiss of pain it caused.

Percival was concerned. "How much can you move?" Merlin waved his left forearm and hand up and down. "Can you tell us what hurts?"

"I did something to my left leg. I think it's broken but I can't tell where. I hit my head when I came down too. It's- there's blood but I'm not sure how bad it is." Merlin could hear a lot more people but they were out of sight. He could only see Gwaine and Percy. Then Gwaine vanished. "Where's he going?" Merlin asked Percival, panicking a little.

"Calm down Merlin, he's not leaving. He's talking to some of the search team to figure out the best way to get you out of there. Just hold on for a little bit longer."

He remained calm and in a moment, Gwaine was back. "The best option is just to pull you up and out. We could try to dig you out a little but with how tightly you're stuck that could just do more harm than good. Percy, you're gonna grab my ankles and lower me in head first. I'll hold onto Merlin and together we'll pull him out, okay?" Percy nodded. "You ready to get out of there, Merlin?"

"You have no idea." Merlin responded.

Percival grabbed Gwaine's ankles and lowered him into the hole. Gwaine latched his hands under Merlin's arms as best as he could. Then, they pulled.

Merlin wasn't really aware of how long the process took, he was more aware of the pain his body was going through. Then, he was above the ground instead of stuck in it. He was still in pain but the happiness of being out helped to dull it a little. A flash of gold and red caught his attention. "Arthur!" He yelled.

Arthur ran to him and held him close, being careful not to hurt him. "Shit Merlin, don't ever scare me like that again. I got home late and you still weren't back and you're always home by the time I get there. I asked around and everyone said that you went to take a walk like you always do but that you hadn't come back yet. We've been searching for ages Merlin. I was beginning to think we'd never find you." He pressed a kiss to the top of Merlin's head.

Merlin tugged on his red coat, trying to pull him even closer. "I was so scared. I couldn't move and then it was dark and wet and cold and-" Merlin was rambling but Arthur silenced him with a kiss.

"You're fine now. Gwaine and Percy found you and got you out. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

Arthur lifted Merlin off the ground and carried him back to the Pendragon Manor where there was an ambulance waiting. Merlin saw his mum sitting on the front steps of the Manor. As soon as she saw him she came running. She had been crying, Merlin could tell, but now she was all smiles. "Oh Merlin, my precious baby, I'm so glad you're alright."

They loaded him into the ambulance and allowed Arthur to come along, instead of just him Hunith, when Merlin started crying again. Once at the hospital, he was diagnosed with a broken ankle, a concussion, and hypothermia. All of their friends came to visit. Merlin thanked Percival and Gwaine for finding him and pulling him out. Then he thanked Elyan, Leon, and Lance for searching as well and Gwen and Morgana for keeping his mother company.

Eventually, his nurse got them all to leave but Arthur stayed. In fact, he refused to leave until they released Merlin the next day. He fell asleep in one of the hard plastic hospital chairs while holding Merlin's hand.

When they got back home, Arthur dragged Merlin into his room. "Arthur," Merlin argued, "I have my own room you know."

Arthur smiled, "Yes but I told you I was never letting you out of my sight again and my bed is much bigger than yours." Merlin rolled his eyes but allowed Arthur to manhandle him under the covers. When Merlin was settled, Arthur sat next to him and ran his hand lazily through Merlin's hair. "I really was scared, you know. I don't know what I would have done had something worse happened to you."

Merlin smiled and yawned. "That never would have happened."

"How do you know?"

"You're my knight in shining armor. You'd never let it happen. You love me to much."

"You're right, I do love you."

"I love you too. Even though you are a prat."

"Go to sleep _Mer_lin." Arthur pressed a kiss to his forehead, which made Merlin smile even more before he finally curled up and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur shoved Merlin up against the side of the van and crushed their lips together. Somewhere behind them, Morgana cleared her throat. "If you two could stop making out for five minutes and help us load up the rest of the luggage it would be much appreciated."

Arthur reluctantly pulled away but not before he nipped at Merlin's ear, causing him to squeak in a way he found completely adorable. Lancelot rolled his eyes. They loaded up the back seat of Morgana's car and the trunk until nothing more would fit and then put the rest in the back of the van. Morgana and Gwen would be taking the car and most of the luggage to the cabin while all the guys rode in the van.

The cabin had been in the Pendragon family for a very long time and it was always kept in shape by a small hired staff. It was big with two floors, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full sized kitchen, a living room, and a large wrap around porch. Not to mention the magnificent lake that had a deck, rope swing, two canoes, and two paddle boats. It was like a little slice of heaven and they were going to be living there for the next week and a half.

Once they got all of the luggage loaded up, Morgana and Gwen hopped into the little silver car and the boys piled into the van. Leon was driving, since he was the best driver and Percival got to sit in the front seat because he was the only one who could make sense of the maps. Lancelot and Elyan were sitting in the middle row, leaving Arthur, Merlin, and Gwaine in the back.

Everyone was pretty quiet for the first hour. It was still fairly early in the morning and they had all stayed up late packing because they decided to put it off until the last second. It was during the second hour that everyone started to wake up. Leon and Percy talked about football. Lance and Elyan listened to the radio and made occasional comments about this or that. Gwaine was bored and decided that it was all Arthur's fault. Merlin had fallen back to sleep.

"How is it my fault?" Arthur asked.

"You're boring. All you do it sit there! You're not talking or humming to the radio or anything!" Gwaine yelled, frustrated.

"I don't live to entertain you Gwaine." Arthur readjusted himself so the Merlin's head didn't fall off his shoulder.

"You don't live anymore!" Gwaine yelled.

Arthur was confused.

Gwaine sighed. "You never hang out with us if Merlin isn't around. Not that I don't like Merlin. It's just that we miss you being all not relationship-y."

Arthur frowned, not liking where this was headed. "What are you on about?"

"As soon as practice is over, you practically run all the way home to get back to him. If Merlin can't hang out because he has homework, you stay home with him even when you don't have any."

"You've wanted to say this for a while, haven't you?" Arthur said, getting angrier.

"I have. And it's not just about us wanting to hang out with you. You're constantly worrying about him! I understand that something bad happened to him, but you can't let that control you. We all know Merlin needs his space and lately you're always there, breathing down his neck and watching over his shoulder. Give him a break!" Gwaine yelled.

"Look Gwaine," Arthur was really trying to keep his cool as both of them were getting more and more agitated, "if Merlin wants me to leave him alone then he'll tell me. I appreciate your concern but the relationship I have with Merlin is between the two of us and we don't need you telling us how to be a couple."

Gwaine lost it. He launched himself at Arthur and pinned him up against the other side of the car. "Fuck you Pendragon. I'm trying to help."

When Gwaine slammed Arthur up against the side of the car, he seemed to have forgotten that Merlin was sleeping on Arthur's other side. Merlin was awake now. Awake and being pinned against the side of the car by Arthur's body. He could faintly hear Gwaine yelling and Arthur yelling back but he couldn't make sense of what they were saying. He was stuck and he wanted to tell them to stop but the words got caught in his throat. He wanted to push them away but he couldn't move. His body wouldn't listen to him. He couldn't breathe and he was panicking. He just wanted out. Out. OUT!

He was screaming. He just thrashing around, trying to get out. Arthur was there, trying to calm him down. Leon quickly pulled over to the side of the road. The girls had been following, noticed, and did the same thing. Everyone piled out of the van. Arthur pulled Merlin out and carried him over to the grass on the side of the road.

Merlin was shaking like a leaf and there were tear tracks on his face but they had gotten him out fairly quickly so it didn't take him long to calm down his breathing.

"Oh god, Merlin I am so sorry!" Gwaine took a step closer; attempting to reach out to Merlin and comfort him but Arthur's glare stopped him.

The blonde sat next to Merlin in the grass and soothingly rubbed a hand up and down his back. "Are you alright Merlin?"

Merlin nodded and his cheeks flamed in embarrassment. "I'm fine. We should probably get back on the road though." He stood shakily and brushed off Arthur's attempt at assistance. Merlin pretended he didn't see the offended look on his boyfriend's face as he climbed back into the van.

}!{

While Arthur was giving everyone a tour of the cabin, Merlin had managed to corner Gwaine in the kitchen.

"What were you two arguing about earlier?" Merlin asked him.

Gwaine feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"

Merlin sighed. "In the van this morning, before I… woke up, you and Arthur were arguing about something. What was it?"

"It was nothing. Just a little misunderstanding."

"It was about me, wasn't it?" Merlin glared at him. "I have a right to know. You don't have to keep this from me. Whatever it is, I can take it."

Gwaine looked down at his shoes in guilt. "I- you've been- it's just that I'm worried about you. We all can see how much you need your space since the accident and we've given it to you, we understand. But Arthur doesn't. He's practically smothering you, breathing down your neck constantly, always in our personal space. He should understand better than the rest of us what you've been through!"

"Stop." Merlin stood a little straighter and looked his friend in the eye. "Just stop. Did you ever think that maybe I'm capable of knowing what I want and what I can handle? Arthur makes me feel safe. If he were making me uncomfortable or overstepping any boundaries, I'd tell him. I think you just need to mind your own damn business. I can take care of myself."

Gwaine watched in shock as Merlin stormed off to find where the other had gone.

}!{

Night had fallen and a field of endless stars blanketed the night sky. Everyone was sitting around a fire they'd built in the backyard, roasting marshmallows, and having a good time. Merlin had just finished his third smore when Arthur nudged him.

"Want to go for a boat ride?" Merlin nodded and followed him over to the deck where they both climbed into one of the paddle boats and pushed off.

It was relaxing, the rhythmic sound of the water lapping against the side of the paddle boat and the crickets chirping. They'd made it a considerable distance away from where the others were sitting by the fire before Merlin pulled his feet off the peddles.

"Merlin, wh-" Arthur turned to look at him, but the raven haired boy's face was tilted toward the sky, his eyes scanning the vast sea of stars.

"I asked Gwaine what you guys were arguing about this morning." He paused and Arthur waited patiently for him to speak, knowing there was more he wanted to say. "He thinks you're too clingy or something. I know he's worried. You all are, but…" Merlin turned to face Arthur, his eyes glistening with moisture. "I'm not weak. I'm not. I just-"

Arthur shook his head, interrupting him. "We know that Merlin, we do. We don't hover because we think you're weak, we do it because _we_ are."

Merlin drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "I don't understand."

Arthur sighed. "When you went missing that night, we were scared, terrified even. When I was little, before you came to live with us, the head-groundskeeper's kid told me stories of kids that wandered off the path and were never seen again. I knew they weren't true, that he told me that so I wouldn't wander off while his father was working and get him in trouble. But that night, I couldn't help but think about those stories and wander if you would turn into one." He reached out and grabbed Merlin's hand. "I have this irrational fear in the back of my mind that says if I'm away from you for too long, I'll come back and you'll be gone again."

Merlin smiled at him before leaning foreword and capturing Arthur's lips with his. "Have I ever told you that I love you?"

"Yes," Arthur smirked, "but it wouldn't hurt to hear you say it some more."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "You are such a prat." Then he sighed, "But I do love you."


End file.
